Photographic dark box.



Pfltfilited Jan. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET! 71b- ATTORNEYS.

W. F. EOLMER. PHOTOGRAPHIC DARK BOX. APPLICATION men ssrnzo. ms.

0w 1 9 1 1h 2 m a 1d d w n nu b aw P ATTORNEYS V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. FOLMER, OF ROCHESTER, vNEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PHOTOGBAPHIC DARK BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. FoLMEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Dark Boxes; and I do hereby declare the follon lng to ,be a fullpclear, and exact description of the samejreference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to dark boxes or containers particularly adapted for carrying photographic plates or films, which have been exposed in camerasjor military purposes and whose complete protection is of the utmost importance, said plates being adapted to be discharged into said box from, suitable slides or cameras, and it consists in providing a container of substantial construction having a readily operable closure or cover of such a nature that access of light to the plates or films is prevented, and the same may be safely transported. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts,'all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1. is a rear elevation of the box or container showing the locking mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line X-X of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line Y-Y of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is an edge .view of the cover or closing slide when straightened out,

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the lower end, showing the locking mechanism,

Fig. 8 is a reversible sectional view, partlybroken away, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line WW of Fig. 7..

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The casing of the box or container is constructed of sheet metal, and comprises outer end plates 1 provided with inwardly extend- .ing flanges 2, and the bottom is formed of an outer plate 3 having the upwardly extending flange 3 at the rear and an inner Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 20, 1918. Serial No. 254,924.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

plate 4 parallel with plate 3, leaving a space between them as shown in Fig. 3. The inner plate 4 is bent downwardly and upwardly at its forward edge, forming a slot or pocket 4 adapted to receive the edge of the sliding cover, and its rear portion has a downwardly extending flange 4*. 6 indicatesa removable cross-bar located between the flanges 2 on the plates 1 and. constituting a sto for limiting the movement of the slide or c osure, said bar being secured by screws 5 also passing through the flanges 3 and 4 7 indicates plates arranged at the inner sides of the ends of the casing. having outwardly extending flanges 8 abutting the inner sides of the outer end plates 1 an affording a space or chamber 9 between them, and inside of these is arranged a rectangular casing 10 open at the front, having its side plates 11 secured by rivets 12 countersunk into the inner side plates 11 and extending through the interior end plates 6 and exterior end plates 1, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The rear plate 13 of this interior casing-constitutes the rear oi the casing. The chamber 10 which is adapted to receive the photographic plates or films, is closed at the top by a part'tion or plate 14, and above this is arrange a guide 15 formed'of sheet metal,

and with its upper surface rounded and substantially in line with the flanges 2 and 8- on the, plates 1 ahd 7 respectively. The flanges 2 and 8 and the rounded plate 15 constitute guides for a flexible door or closure for the front opening of the casing, the upper portion of the curved part of the guide and the top of the casing being formed by a correspondingly curved top plate 16 having V flanges 17 at its end secured to the end plates 1 by screws 18 or other equivalent fastening devices. To this top plate is secured a flexible carrying handle or strap 19 engaging loops formed in the ends of a curved plate 20 secured by rivets 21. 22 indicates a short plate riveted to the front of the top plate 16, having its lower edge inclined as shown in Fig. 4 and constituting the upper portion of the 'front' opening into the container. 25 indicates a flexible slide or closure movable in guideways formed by the flanges 2 and 8' side elevation removed from the casing in Fig. 6) is constructed of a plurality of superposed plies or sheets of thin metal such as phosphor bronze connected at their ends, the plies being of different lengths, the shorter being nearer the center of curvature of the guides, so that when the slide is extended or laid on a fiat surface, theinner ply will lie substantially straight, while the outer plies will assume different degrees of curvature, as shown in said figure, and their relation to each other and to the curve formed by the curved guide at the top of the casing is such that they will remain substantially in contact during 'the movements of the slide around-the curved guides, although permitted a slight movement upon each other without undue bulging. Inthe preferred construction, the inner ply 26 and the outer ply 27 are formed of a single piece of metal doubled over at 28, while the interior plies 29 and 30 also consist of a single piece of sheet metal, the doubled portion of which is arranged within the bight 28 of the outer plates. The lower ends of the plies are rigidly connected to an operating piece formed, in the present instance, of a single metal plate 31 bent around the free ends of the plies 26, 27, 29 and 30, and secured by rivets 32, the metal of this plate bein formed into a bead 33 and then bent latera ly to form a flange 34 parallel with the interior flanged plate 31 and secured thereto by rivets 35, as

, shown particularly in Figs. 7 and 10.

A door or closure constructed in the manner described is not only light tight and laterally flexible so as to readily follow the guides, but at the same time is sufliciently rigid longitudinally to permit its actuation by power applied toeither end without liability of displacement or buckling. Furthermore such a closure is not as readily puncturable as one composed of a single sheet'or ply and therefore affords excellent protection under all circumstances.

40 indicates a catch for holding the slide 25 in open or closed position, being adapted to engage locking notches 41 or 42 formed in one of the rear guiding flanges 2 of the casing, as shown in Fig. 1, and instance it consists of a plate having a slot 44-for the reception of a headed guide pin 45, the other end of the plate being turned outwardly to forn an operating lug or handle 46 extending over and guided upon the 33 focmedon the plate 31. The locking catch is projected outwardly by means of a spring 47 so as to cause itsend to engage the notches 41 or 42 and hold the slide in adjusted position, and it may be readily retracted by the thund) of the operator when grasping the rib 33 to manipulate the slide. At the bottom and sides of the casing near the front opening are flanges or guides 48 for engagement with suitable guides on the cameras or in the present.

oxes containing the plates or films, which are to be deposited in the dark box.

The box or container as described is not only strong and able to withstand considerable knocking about, without liability of damaging the contents, but by reason of the flexible slide or closure consisting of plies or plates of solid metal arra ged to afijord flexibility and operating in th d gui les form ing light tight joints, the plates or films are protected from being light .truck.

Instead of forming the slide or closure of four plies of metal as shown, a single sheet bent and secured to form the inner and outer plies only could be employed, but I prefer to make the slide of four plies as I am thereby enabled to use thinner and more flexible metal, and at the same time secure the requisite stiflness and ease of manipulation.

Having described-my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Iatent is:

1. A container for photographic plates or films comprising a casing openat the front and havin guides at the sides of said openmg extenc ing around the end and to the I rear of the casing, and a flexible door or closure sliding in said guides, embodying a plurality of superposed flexible plates connected at one end.

2. A container for photographic plates or films comprising a casing open at the front and guides at the sides of the opening extending around the end and to the rear of the casing, and a door oi-(closure sliding in said guides, embodying a plurality of superposed flexible plates connected at their opposite ends.

3. A' container for photographic plates or films comprising a casing open'at the front and having guides at the sides of the openphotographic plates a casing open at the sides of the opening extendingaround the end of and to the rear' of the casing, and a flexible door or closure sliding in said guides, comprising 'a sheet of flexible material folded to form two superposed plies of unequal length when extended, the shorter curvature of the guides.

A container for photographic plates and films, consisting of a casing operfat the front and guides at thcsides of the opening extending around the end of and to the rear of the casing, and a flexible door or closure ply being nearer the center of v flanges being spaced apart to form a guideway between them, the bottom composed oi the connected inner and outer plates having flanges extending in opposite directions, said inner. plate having a groove at its forward I edge and a. flexible slide or closure operating in the guides'and adapted to enter the groove in the bottom plate.

WILLIAM F. FOLMER. 

